1. Field of the Invention
The present application relates to damage mitigation systems. In particular, the present application relates to retractable damage mitigation systems.
2. Description of Related Art
Property, when subjected to a harsh environment, can be quickly damaged. Vehicles in particular are subjected to environments that can rise in temperature to over 120 degrees Fahrenheit, or environments that can experience temperatures dropping below −10 degrees Fahrenheit. When weather turns bad, a vehicle outdoors can have to endure flying debris, hail, rain, snow, and sleet. Indeed nothing may be more brutal to a vehicle than direct sun, or parking next to a vehicle with wide swinging doors. Add in insects, bird droppings, and pollution, and property has a poor chance of lasting as long as an owner would hope.
Four general categories of attempts at protecting property exist. Namely, tarpaulin covers, inflatable covers, rigid-material covers, and structural shelters.
Tarpaulin covers typically consist of material used for protecting exposed objects or areas. While tarpaulin covers can provide some protection against minor destructive elements, such as rain, they cannot protect property against stronger destructive elements, such as hail and swinging car doors. Storage can be an issue because the tarpaulin cover must be folded up and stored.
Inflatable covers typically consist of air-tight material that can be inflated to protect exposed objects or areas. While inflatable covers can provide some protection against stronger destructive elements, such as hail, they require time to inflate, and can be punctured leaving little or no protection for property against destructive elements. Storage can be an issue because the inflatable cover must be deflated, folded up, and stored.
Thick-material covers typically consist of material with enough thickness to provide substantial protection for exposed objects or areas, such as foam, Styrofoam, plastic, metal, or wood. While tarpaulin covers can provide good protection against stronger destructive elements, such as hail and swinging car doors, they are cumbersome and may require custom fitting. Storage is a major issue because of the thickness, and possibly the inflexibility, of the material. The thickness also hinders the mobility of thick-material covers.
Structural shelters typically consist of material erected around property for protection, such as sheds, car ports, and tents. While structural shelters provide excellent protection against stronger destructive elements, such as hail and flying debris, they are typically not mobile, or if they are, require laborious setup and teardown. Again, storage is a major issue because of size and the number of components.
Some covers incorporate a cover holder, which can house the cover for easy storage, and allow the cover to be pulled out and reeled back in. These cover holders do not provide protection-level options for the owner and typically can only house covers which can provide minor damage protection.
Although the aforementioned methods of protecting property represent great strides in the area of damage mitigation systems, many shortcomings remain.